One type of simple bell used on bicycles and tricycles uses a stationary ringer. The ringer is generally shaped like a downward facing hemisphere. A finger actuated strike lever projects outward from a mounting bracket beneath the ringer. A clapper is attached to the strike lever adjacent to the ringer. The operator need only snap the strike lever with his finger. This causes the strike lever and clapper assembly to hit the ringer, thereby sounding the bell. The disadvantage of this simple bell is that only one angle of the strike lever relative to the supporting handlebars is possible. Therefore, different riders having different finger lengths and/or different capabilities of finger movement cannot readily use the simple bell noted above. Additionally the present invention allows the user to choose which finger to use as well as to accommodate other equipment such as bicycle levers, etc. Furthermore, the same rider who sustains an injury to his usual bell finger cannot adjust the striker lever of the simple bell noted above. The same rider may also have difficulty obtaining the same comfortable operating angle of the striker lever when he moves the bell to a new bicycle.
Attempts have been made to improve the simple bell noted above. Japanese patent number 3-49110, patented Oct. 21, 1991 discloses two embodiments of an improved striker mechanism for a bicycle bell. The first embodiment teaches an outward projecting striker arm having a clapper inside the ringer. The striker arm can be activated in either the clockwise or counter-clockwise direction relative to the ringer. The second embodiment teaches a truly universal striker arm design. The striker arm is a rotating circular base which can be rotated 360.degree. in either the clockwise or counter-clockwise direction relative to the ringer. This second embodiment, however, cannot be activated with a simple downward flick of the thumb. It requires a slightly more coordinated push motion on the periphery of the striker arm rotating circular base to actuate the ringer. Thus, this second embodiment is not universally convenient for children or adults who have any number of coordination handicaps. Furthermore, rain could cause the rider's finger to inadvertently slip off the rotating cylinder base.
The present invention improves on the simple bell noted above whose striker arm is activated by a downward flick of the finger. The improvement provides a 360.degree. rotatable base for the outward projecting striker arm. The base can be manually adjusted to the desired angle by merely pushing it to any desired angle. This can be accomplished by a child even after the bell has been permanently secured to the handlebars. Thus, the simplest up-down striker arm/clapper design is now improved to immediately adapt to all riders.